


What Are Friends For?

by chiixil_84



Series: Miraculous [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angry Alya Césaire, Arguing, Arguments, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, I'd tag the episodes this takes place in, I'm Bad At Tagging, Mentioned Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Mentioned Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe, Mentioned Lila Rossi, Mentioned Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Mentioned Nino Lahiffe, Minor Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sister-Sister Relationship, Sisters, Tags May Change, Unfinished Argument, but it's really kind of between all of those episodes where Lila was giving Marinette a hard time so, but mostly about Alya not believing in Marinette, vaguely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22836640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiixil_84/pseuds/chiixil_84
Summary: Nora hears Alya storming up the steps to their door, and glances at the clock. "You're home early!" she calls once she hears the door open, but doesn't get a reply from her sister.Another bad day? she questions herself as the middle Césaire locks herself in her bedroom with a thunderous slam. What could've gone wrong today?--AKA, an argument between siblings when Alya opens up to her older sister about how she can't believe she never really saw Marinette's true self before Lila Rossi came to their school; Nora tries to put her sister's head back squarely on her shoulders, questioning everything Alya is too emotionally charged to be thinking about clearly.
Relationships: Alya Césaire & Lila Rossi, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire & Nora Césaire, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Miraculous [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1641706
Comments: 24
Kudos: 208





	1. Room To Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> As an older sister, I've had plenty of conversations and situations similar to this with my own younger sisters. I'm left kinda frustrated at Alya's behavior toward Marinette, and ESPECIALLY of those that we see call her an 'everyday Ladybug' and that elected as the class representative in the show. Just... the girl needs a break lol.
> 
> I kinda feel like after Anansi, Nora got into trying to be around her family more. My idea is she always has a place with her parents, but is always off doing a job in this city or that so she's on the road more often than not; when she does catch a break, she's with her family to attempt to mend the situation that brought them all to her akumatization in the first place. She really, truly wants to be there for her kid siblings, but is also really proud of how far they've come despite their hardships in the past. (I think of Nora always got into fights to fix Alya's/her own problems, and Alya always got herself into horrible situations that she'd react poorly to. Troubled kids making an honest attempt at bettering themselves is my favorite trope lol.)
> 
> Also, Lila needs to be handed down some swift justice soon. I really don't like how she's been able to get away with bullying this viciously for so long, especially seeing as how she's not in the position that Chloe's in. The adults really seem to fail Marinette in these situations so I kinda wanted to write something out about Alya's state of mind; maybe I'll get on the adults' cases later lol.
> 
> [Chapter's based off of You Me At Six's 'Room To Breathe.' Kinda felt appropriate.]

Nora found herself working up a sweat as she worked hard in the kitchen, almost wanting to laugh at how _domestic_ she must have looked to anyone watching her. Cooking was her sister’s friend’s hobby, and _that_ bluenette was the perfect definition of a ‘domestic life’ – right down to the cute photos she took, and the incredible designs she drew, and the life she breathed into her fashion work.

It was an attitude polar opposite from her own siblings’ behaviors. _How did Alya even manage to find a friend with a soft soul like that, let alone befriend it?_ Nora questioned herself, and not for the first time, either. If the eldest Césaire was the type to be physically rough with people, Alya pulled off psychological aggression twice that of anything Nora could’ve pulled off in her entire lifetime.

It made the eldest Césaire proud to see how strong her sister had become, all things considered.

 _Speaking of,_ the wrestler thought as she heard the front door’s locks clicking. Her eyes flicked over to the stovetop clock, and a frown began to form on Nora’s face. “You’re home early,” she called out to the _stomp-stomp-stomp_ ing Alya. “Was school okay?” Turning, Nora caught the tail of her sister’s hair as she rounded the corner. She was moving pretty fast, and that was never a good sign in the Césaire household.

Following the teenager, flexing her muscles slightly as she shrugged off the apron, Nora continued, lilting her voice to carry similarly to when she was in the ring, “What, are you too grown to hang out with your sister anymore, Al?”

Alya’s door slammed before the eldest even caught sight of her sister’s face, the entire house thundering with its echo. It made her chest deflate as the bravado left her, leaving Nora alone with more questions than answers.

An extremely bad day had been rare for the middle Césaire child since their move to Paris, even with all the weird akumatizations that were happening in this city – and, yes, that included the times when even a Césaire child found themselves akumatized. Before moving here, however, ‘bad days’ were a common occurrence for the middle child, one that often led to Nora stepping in (literally and metaphorically) to protect her. Since the eldest had graduated and gone off to do her own adult things, Nora had been worrying about Alya’s wellbeing.

The thought of the bluenette came back to Nora, and the peace that had drifted into Alya’s life since meeting the baker’s girl; a moment of worry overcame her for the lovely girl’s safety, but it left her just as quickly as the thought had come.

Nora truly wondered what had happened to make her sibling _this_ upset.

“She’ll come talk with me when she's ready,” she told herself out loud, more as a way to calm herself down than anything else. “She _always_ does.” Though the self-reassurance felt hollow, the wrestler knew it was only a matter of time before she found out what was going on.

She’d hear about Alya’s problems one way or another, and she preferred it to be through _healthier_ means than what the middle Césaire’s past had brought about.

**|0|0|0|**

After preparing her weekly after-workout meals and putting them into the freezer, Nora decided to watch television and relax for a few moments; it wasn’t often she found herself lounging about, but ever since she was akumatized into Anansi, the eldest Césaire was desperate to change her overbearing habits.

So, the wrestler kept her eyes trained on the screen, but kept an ear out for her sister’s reappearance; she didn’t want to make her sister’s emotions a spectacle, and staying aloof tended to help in these situations.

Turns out, Nora didn’t have to wait very long.

Hardly an hour passed before the teenager came slinking from beyond Nora’s peripherals, throwing herself onto the couch and crumpling her knees to her chest. She pulled her phone out and began furiously typing, sometimes taking a moment to sigh but _never_ taking her eyes off the screen. Though the look on Alya’s face was bordering between silently furious determination and nonchalance, her eyes were puffy and her nose looked raw.

Despite wishing so terribly to break the tension between them, Nora continued to wait.

 _This is Alya’s problem,_ Nora told herself, forcing a long exhale through her nose. _If she wants your help, she can ask for it._ The television was long forgotten, her focus entirely trained on Alya, but the wrestler was too stubborn to speak first.

Saying it was rough to watch her sister suffer – by any _number_ of things Nora could only horrifically imagine, even if they were all far off the mark – was the understatement of the century. It was pure torture knowing someone she loved and cared for was so downtrodden, and it made Nora angry.

Forcing another long exhale through her nose, Nora redirected that anger to the television to try and refocus herself.

 _Just breathe,_ the eldest Césaire reminded herself. _She’ll let you know something’s wrong when she’s well and ready to –_

A sudden cry of frustration left her sister and shattered Nora’s train of thought. Turning quickly to look at her sister, a strangled yelp caught in her throat, the wrestler was already halfway out of her chair before her eyes focused on her younger sister: Alya had nestled herself between the couch cushions, her body curled into a tight ball and her phone long-forgotten on the floor.

With an awkward cough, Nora forced herself to sit once more, her body pumping full of adrenaline as she watched her sister like a hawk.

Nora waited for what felt like a lifetime as she worked over her words carefully (a subject she wasn’t _terribly_ great at, especially when it came to emotionally charged situations, but for Alya, she’d do anything), trying to think of every scenario the middle Césaire could’ve been involved with to make her this upset.

Finally, the eldest Césaire said, fixing herself in her seat as her eyes returned to the screen, “I’m here if you want to talk.”

Another, more muffled grumble came from the couch, but Nora didn’t turn back around; she was giving Alya _space_. Wasn’t that what the teenager had asked for before she was akumatized into Anansi?

 _Ball’s in your court, kid,_ Nora thought with a sigh, struggling to focus on the news channel and not lean closer to hear Alya’s mutterings. _I just hope you’re willing to play the game with me._


	2. All Falls Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Nora start talking; it doesn't end here, nor does it go very well.

Later that night, Alya was still on the couch, but whether or not she was awake for the entire evening was up for debate; Nora had long-since abandoned any hope in attempting to hear the middle Césaire’s mutterings, and decided her time would be better spent working out. If her sister had fallen asleep, it was probably for the better; a groggy Alya was better to handle than a ‘bad day’ Alya. 

And, in either case, working out certainly helped get rid of that ache building in Nora’s chest; it was the same feeling that made her turn into Anansi in the first place – that fear of not being enough for her family, and being unable to protect them – and as she felt it slowly ebb away, what replaced it gave Nora some confidence for whatever she knew she’d face with Alya later. 

Even if her sister wasn’t – or wouldn’t ever be – ready to talk, it didn’t mean Nora wouldn’t be prepared to listen. 

Once she’d finished her workout and moved towards the bathroom for a shower, the wrestler decided to take a quick detour to see if Alya had moved from her spot yet. She was pleasantly surprised to see the middle Césaire sitting up, her hair sticking up all over the place and glasses askew; clearly, she’d caught Alya just as she was waking up. 

Bemused, Nora called out, taking a step into the living room, “Glad to see you’re awake, Sleeping Beauty.” 

Fumbling with her glasses, the teenager squinted at Nora in a way that made the elder Césaire question whether her sister was simply groggy or was still upset from earlier. “What time’zit?” the redhead mumbled, stretching as a stifled yawn barely made it past her lips. “I ha-a-ad stuff t’do.” 

Nodding sagely, the wrestler offered, “On the Ladyblog? I know you’ve been working hard on it, kiddo, and I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished so far. But don’t you think you could take the night off?” 

Alya shot a look at her. “What’re you talking –” She cut herself off with a hard, quick shake of her head. “No?” the teenager redirected, the frustration clear in her words as her tone rose. “I’m making a new blog post, actually.” 

“Oh, cool!” Nora replied evenly, moving into the kitchen to grab one of the table chairs. “Care to tell an old lady like me what’s cool these days? All the ‘memes’ I’m missing out on?” A scoff came from the teenager, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her; maybe Alya was just being moody? “Well, anyway, kiddo,” the wrestler went on as she dragged the chair, a lopsided grin stretched over her face. “It’s just us tonight; the twins are sleeping over at a classmate’s, and Mom’n Dad had to do a few errands. We can talk as long as you want, about whatever’s on your mind.” She settled the chair a few feet from the couch with the back to the couch and sat down carefully, leaning her torso over the chair as she settled her arms over the back. 

Another moment of silence paired with that odd look Alya was shooting her stretched into what felt like years before Nora added, “If you want to, that is.” 

“You’re never one to listen to my reports,” Alya sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why now, all of a sudden?” 

She took a moment to think about it, then simply shrugged. “I want to be more supportive of your work efforts. And not –” the eldest Césaire sat back, raising her hands up as if in surrender, “– in that weird akumatized way from before.” She settled back against the chair with another shrug. “You’re growing up, and it’s nice to see who my kid sister is becoming. I want to be here cheering you on as you take that next step in life.” 

“At least _someone’s_ on my team,” the teenager groused, leaning into the couch with a huff. She sat up almost an instant later, as if remembering something, and started flipping over the cushions. “Have you seen my phone, Nora?” 

“No,” the wrestler replied, worriedly watching her sister tear apart the couch. “What do you mean ‘at least someone is on your team’? What’s wrong, Alya?” She couldn’t help it; she felt panic rising in her chest, but Nora tried her best to communicate and wait for an answer rather than jump to conclusions; it hadn’t helped before, and she didn’t want to cause Alya any more undue stress because of _her_ growing concern. 

Popping down on her hands and knees, Alya started reaching under the couch frantically, before pulling her arm back out with a victorious cry. Despite the continued and repeated questions Nora shot at the teenager, she continued to ignore Nora’s questions and instead glued herself to the phone, as if no time had passed from earlier: furious typing, low yet unintelligible mumbling, and a ‘if looks could kill’ look on her face. 

Nora let it happen – for a minute or two. She waited as patiently as she could for her sister to return to their conversation, the worry from earlier cascading over her as if she were caught in an undertow; it wasn’t until the eldest Césaire tried one more time to question her sister on her issues and was ignored _yet again_ , that she finally took action. 

Slipping her leg over the chair in a single, fluid motion, the wrestler took two steps forward and snatched the phone right out of Alya’s hands. In a cry of panic, the teenager tried yanking it back, but Nora was far faster and taller than the middle Césaire. 

“ _Give it back!_ ” Alya shouted, stomping yet again as she tried climbing Nora to get to the phone. The eldest Césaire held her hand as high as she could over her head, almost struggling to keep her younger sister off. “I need it right now! I’m in the middle of a _conversation!_ ”

“And so were we, in case you forgot,” Nora shot back, her frustration bubbling at the back of her throat. She picked the thrashing Alya up and sat her firmly down on the couch like a petulant child, asking in a firm tone, “Now, kiddo, are we going to have a normal conversation? Or am I going to have to ask Mom and Dad what to do with you, since you’re _insisting_ on acting like a toddler?” 

Glaring daggers into Nora’s skull, the teenager sat there with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes following her confiscated phone like a fox about to pounce. “I don’t care what you do,” she eventually said through gritted teeth. “All I care about are my _friends_. They need me right now, and all you can do is stand there enjoying this – stupid _power trip_ of yours!” 

That made the wrestler stop for a moment as she processed Alya’s words. Sitting back down on her chair, Nora asked once more, her tone as even as she could manage, “What happened with your friends? Did another one of them get akumatized today?” 

Some of Alya’s feral attitude subsided as she shook her head, her expression dancing between _anger_ and _fear_ and _sadness_ in the span of a single moment. Yet, the teenager did not elaborate further, almost curling in on herself instead. 

Seeing her sister like this was _torture_ ; Nora wanted to take all of this away from her sister, and make her _safe_ and _whole_ again. But, she knew she couldn’t do that to Alya – not again. Even as this new series of emotions gripped the eldest Césaire, Nora wouldn’t allow herself to be overcome with the need to become Anansi again. 

A moment passed between them as she worked on what she wanted to say. “If it wasn’t an akuma,” the wrestler began, her voice warbling as she worked past the lump in her throat, “did something happen to the bluenette?” 

Nora was prepared for the worst; she wasn’t ready to hear Alya _laugh_. “If only it was her!” the teenager managed to say through her fit of laughter, throwing her hair back over her shoulder as she sat up on the couch. “There’s a new girl at school who just transferred. Marinette’s had it out for her since day one, and yet Lila is the sweetest girl I know!” She shook her head, and the laughter turned bitter as she added, “She even has a _disease_ that makes it impossible for her to stop lying!” 

“That sounds... awful,” the eldest Césaire began slowly, sitting upright as she tried processing what Alya was telling her. 

“Oh, you wouldn’t _believe_ what Lila’s been through from _Marinette’s_ antics,” Alya sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest again. “And that conversation I told you I was having? It was about what we were going to do about it.” 

Stunned, all Nora could think to say was, “Can’t you tell a teacher, or someone like Mr. Damocles?” The teenager shook her head once more. 

“No. He and the other teachers are watching out for Lila’s health when it comes to the mythomania, but Marinette’s been taking it to a new level. She keeps telling everyone Lila’s _chasing_ after akumas to get herself akumatized! As if anyone would _want_ that for themselves.” Her voice was rising again as she finished, the anger from that afternoon back in full force. 

It’d been a few months since Nora had seen her younger sibling this way, and it was almost jarring to witness it happen with no provocation; whatever had happened between her and Marinette (and this new girl, Lila) had to have been _really_ terrible for Alya to act like this again. 

“Well, if the teachers know about it, can’t they separate them from each other?” Nora tried. “I know this isn’t your place to figure out, but – Alya, what have they done so far to make sure no one’s being bullied?” _Even if it’s coming from someone that I can’t_ ** _ever_** _imagine being a bully,_ Nora wasn’t brave enough to add, not wishing to stir the pot any further. Despite knowing very little about Marinette personally, the wrestler knew the bluenette was more likely to step out in front of a bully than to _be_ one, if the evening that Nora became Anansi was anything to go off of; it made her _proud_ to know Alya had someone that level-headed by her side, but this news that her sister’s best friend was now turning into a _bully..._ didn’t make any sense to her. 

But, again, the eldest Césaire wasn’t brave enough to say any of that to Alya. Not now, anyway. 

“She was expelled once before,” the ginger drawled, running her fingers through her hair absentmindedly. “But that’s when Lila _bravely_ stepped forward to tell everyone about her medical history, just to get everyone off of her back. Ever since then, Marinette’s acting like she only wants to humiliate her, and keeps twisting the knife further every time Lila opens her mouth to say anything.” 

Well, that was news to her; and, quite alarming, if she was being honest. 

_There’s no way,_ Nora thought to herself, too stunned to say anything immediately. _That little bluenette? It doesn’t make any sense._

She really hoped this was some sort of sick joke; from the fierce look on Alya’s face, however, Nora didn’t think that would be the case here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all!! I have been mulling over this for a really long time, and I finally decided to make this into a three-chapter story rather than trying to stuff everything into two. This isn't really LONG long, but I felt like the match I want to occur between the Césaires over Marinette would be better suited for a separate chapter. (Also, like, I'm struggling to make it seem coherent without writing thousands upon thousands of words and pushing it into one chapter.)
> 
> Thank you to everyone that has stuck with me since I posted the first chapter, welcome to those that are new, and I hope y'all enjoy!


	3. Open Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ending of the story, and possibly their relationship.

Before Alya could say anything further, Nora couldn’t help but interject a question that had been on her mind this entire conversation: "How do you know all of this?” 

Surprisingly, her younger sister just stared. 

The silence stretched on between them for a few moments, making Nora feel _so uncomfortable_. It went on for so long, Nora started to second guess her question’s relevance in the first place. It _had_ been a few years since she was in school herself, so maybe she was missing something? Maybe the eldest Césaire was just too old to understand schoolyard issues now? 

This past semester _had_ been full of things Nora herself never faced before – like, _literal_ supervillains and heroes roaming the streets of Paris, with every few days leading to one (or several!) akumatizations of classmates, family members, and random Parisians alike – so maybe she wouldn’t _ever_ be able to understand the extra stress her sister and her classmates were under. 

She still hoped she could help the ginger with whatever was ailing her; that’s what sisters did for one another, even if the world was rapidly changing. 

Finally, after nearly an eternity of silence, Alya replied, “Because Lila told us.” 

A beat passed, but the younger Césaire didn’t say anything more. The finality of her sister’s words made the balloon of worry in Nora’s chest deflate. 

When she was able to find her voice, the woman prodded, “And that’s it?” Her sister’s eyes squinted, as if offended at the words Nora just spoke. 

“Well, _obviously_ I’ve seen some of it,” Alya said, waving her hand. Without allowing Nora to answer, the ginger laughed and continued on, her mouth twisted into a snarl as she spoke, “Why does it matter anyway, Nora? Marinette’s been telling everyone at school that Lila just wants attention, but we all know Lila _hates_ having to explain her medical history over and over to get Marinette off her back. _She’s_ the problem here.” 

“Really? Then how often does Lila use it as an excuse for what’s happening around her?” Nora shot back. For once, she was beginning to get agitated at Alya’s childishness. _Alya is better than this; she never jumps to conclusions, or take_ ** _anything_** _at face value. Why is she so twisted around this new girl?_ the eldest Césaire questioned, but wasn’t brave enough to ask out loud. 

When Alya opened her mouth to reply, all she could do was sputter. “Why does it matter, she — she has _conditions_ , Nora! She can’t control what she’s saying half the time!” 

“And that means she needs an entire class to protect her from someone who, _not even two months ago_ , was promoted to be the class representative by every student in your year?" Nora shook her head sourly, crossing her arms over her chest. “If she’s that affected by her illnesses, Alya, she needs to have an aide with her at all times, _not_ a group of teenagers catering to her every need. That isn’t healthy for you, for _any_ of you to be dealing with every day!” Nora shook her head again, adding, “You have your own problems to handle without having to play guard to Lila’s _needs_.” 

Scoffing, the middle Césaire turned her head away from Nora. “You wouldn’t _get it_ , Nora. Marinette’s been here for ages, and no one’s questioned her status unless it was Chloé. Only _bullies_ get riled up when someone new comes along to take their Queen Bee position, and with the way they’ve been fighting over _Adrien_ lately, I would certainly qualify that as ‘bullying the new girl.’” Alya shifted on the couch, gesturing wildly as she continued, her voice raising to a near-shout now, “Everyone thought she was _soooo_ sweet and innocent and _frail_ until Lila showed up and started befriending everyone, and now we’re really seeing that _Dupain-Cheng_ for who she is! I guarantee you, if anyone knew Marinette was like this, she’d be in stands with Chloé. 

“You should be careful, though,” the ginger half-whispered. The sudden volume change sending a frigid shock down Nora’s spine as her younger sister side-glanced at her, a deeply-set frown on the teenager’s face. “You’re starting to sound like _Anansi_ again.” 

That made Nora bristle. 

Standing up from the chair so quickly it flipped out from underneath her, the eldest Césaire ground out, pointing a finger at the smug-looking teenager, “ _Watch yourself_ , Alya. You’re on very thin ice right now.” 

“Why?” the teenager cooed, though the sweetness of her voice was only a thin veil to the venom below. “Because I’m having an opinion different than yours? Or is it because my school experience is more dramatic than your wrestling career is?” She held her hands up to her cheeks and rung them slightly as she wailed, “ _Boo-hoo!_ ” 

“No, it’s because this isn’t _you!_ ” Nora finally shouted, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “This isn’t the Alya I know! These last few months have been _amazing_ for you. You’ve never once had anything horrible to say about Blue, and yet now today you’re just – _done?_ Done with your _first solid_ friendship in years?” 

“I’ve had plenty of friends!” Alya shot back, standing up herself. The coy attitude was gone, and in its place was a sadly familiar look that Nora had hoped she’d never see again: _spitefully spitfire Alya Césaire_. She went on nonetheless, her voice raising even further, “I can have as many friends as I want! It just so happens _she_ is a person I no longer want to associate with.” 

Honestly, she tried to keep her comments to herself, but Nora couldn’t help it; all she wanted to do was shake her younger sister and make her see how _ridiculous_ and shortsighted she was being. 

“So, _every one_ of your classmates feels the same way?” the wrestler pressed on, her voice still loud but not quite shouting. “That’s sounding more like manipulation than an actual consensus. What does Nino say about all this? Wasn’t he friends with Blue since preschool?” 

For the first time that night, Alya was clamming up and looked _angry_ about Nora’s question. 

As the silence stretched for over thirty seconds, Nora found herself shaking her head once more; the longer she spoke with her sister about this whole _mess_ of a situation, the more she was starting to feel _sorry_ for her (and the entire class, but especially her own flesh and blood). It wasn’t like she was even talking to the same _Alya_ anymore, let alone someone Nora spent her entire life looking after. “Are you telling me even your boyfriend seems to be on the fence about how your _supposed_ ‘friend’ is being treated?” 

“Conversations between my boyfriend and I are none of your business,” she spat, her voice dangerously low. 

At this reaction, Nora knew she was stepping into a minefield; at this point, she didn’t really care if her sister’s feelings were _hurt_ if it meant Alya was using her skills to harm others. One way or another, she wanted the younger Césaire to realize the damage she was doing to those around her. 

Crossing her arms over her chest, the woman began, her tone sharp, “If this is how you treat people, I think it most certainly is.” As Alya opened her mouth to retort, Nora bulldozed on, “This isn’t you, Alya! What’s been going on with you? I feel like I don’t know who you are anymore.” She held up her hand and began lifting fingers as she ranted off, “You’re forsaking your _best friend_ for someone you just met, your boyfriend seems to be questioning your stance on this, and you’re treating everyone around you like they’re the enemy.” 

“He’s _my_ boyfriend, and _he_ should be on _my side!_ ” the ginger shrieked, throwing her hands up. “Otherwise, why am I with him?!” 

Exasperatedly, the wrestler shouted back, “Can you not hear yourself right now? _That isn’t healthy!_ None of this is! You’re asking something impossible from Nino in the most controlling way possible. How can you be so cruel as to put him in this situation, to choose between you and a life-long friendship?” 

Her face red, the younger Césaire snapped, “If he can’t even support me in my decisions on cutting out toxic people from my life and expose them for who they truly are, what good is he when it comes to _adult_ situations? Children? A job? How can I trust he’ll support me when _I’m_ out there as a journalist, outing the horrors of the world?” 

Nora couldn’t really believe what she was hearing. “You don’t have to do that at the expense of your _real friends_ just to get a story out there!” The ginger scoffed, rolling her eyes as she muttered something under her breath; the elder sister didn’t hear it, nor did she think anything good would come out of knowing what Alya was saying. “Do you even have any proof this has been going on, beyond what each of these girls has been saying about the other? Does _anyone_ in your class have any first-hand experience seeing Blue bully this new girl? Because for someone that says she fights for the use of truth and hard evidence to prove a point, it seems like you’ve been using plenty of anecdotal, half-assed testimony this _entire_ conversation.” 

This time, Alya remained silent; no muttering, still turned away, almost looking like she was entirely checked out of this conversation at this point – and that was a look the eldest Césaire knew all-too-well from the Old Alya. She knew her younger sister would take all her words, twist them around, and spit back out something twice as brutal. 

So, before her sister could say another word, Nora would try one last tactic: a low, but hopefully an eye-opening, blow. Their relationship would probably suffer for it, but she would take that chance if it meant Alya would learn something. 

“If you keep going down this road,” the woman began, her tone dripping with warning and heartbreak, “it’ll make you no better than a troll blog or like the entertainment tabloids looking for any rumor to make a buck. You’ll lose all your friends, your loved ones will all turn their backs on you, and you’ll have _no_ credibility to your work. No one will want to get close to you, you'll find yourself all alone, and you’ll have no one but yourself to blame.” 

Standing across the room from one another, both sisters looked at the other with tears in their eyes – one out of anger, the other out of desperation – and breathing heavily as a thick silence fell upon the room. 

Nora slowly corrected her stance, _hoping_ her words would affect Alya in a way to get her to see what she was doing was wrong, but her younger sister turned her gaze away and stared at a spot on the floor; she looked done with the entire conversation, as if she’d already checked out. 

_Maybe she has,_ the eldest Césaire told herself, feeling her heart crack at the realization. _But whatever comes out of this, I won’t stick around to see what it is._

With her stance firmly decided upon, Nora moved to put her chair back at the table, gathered her things, and started to make her way from the living room; Alya called out after her, the tone of her words sounding more argumentative than anything else, but the wrestler ignored her sister. 

Before leaving the room, however, she said, “I’m really disappointed in you, Alya. I believed that after everything that’s happened to us –” Nora shook her head and corrected herself firmly, “That after everything that’s happened to _you_ , I thought you’d finally been given a second chance to change and better yourself.” She shook her head, turning her back on her sister as she walked away. 

“I was wrong.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spent ages trying to figure out how to say any of this, and I think I finally got something I'm happy to put out. I felt like this hit so close to home for some sisters arguing, and hit every point I was hoping SOMEONE would scream at the kids blaming Marinette for 'bullying' Lila.
> 
> Anyway; hope y'all enjoy; thank you for coming along with me for this ride.


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